22-07-16 EU-funded programme backs special education with 35.8 million euro project

A new 35.8 million euro programme for individualised educational support, under the umbrella of the EU’s Human Resources Development, Education and Life Lifelong Learning programme, will bolster the induction in the school system of students with disabilities and/or special education needs in the 2016-2017 school year.

The programme will benefit 2,601 school nationwide.

Objectives of the action

A major issue for the educational system, and for the social welfare state more generally, is achieving the substantial induction into the educational process of students with disabilities or with special education needs.

This programme involves implementation of specialised educational support to induct students with disabilities and with special education needs, including parallel tutoring support in class at regular, general primary schools and secondary schools.

It also entails support for disabled students unable to serve their basic needs with special assistant personnel, and the support of all students who require it with special educational staff.

The objective of the action is the integration of disabled students and those requiring special education into regular school classes of general schools, with a view to ensuring their access to a normal social life and confronting social exclusion, while at the same time stemming school failures and early dropouts.

In this framework, there are special education teachers who, in cooperation with the main class teacher (parallel instruction), will exclusively support students with disabilities or special education needs, so that they can successfully meet the demands of their programme of study.